Monument record 1160/302/1 - Late medieval to post-medieval tannery (Northern Complex), St Peter's Street

A late C16th-Mid C17th tannery or skin-dressing workshop was excavated as part of the wider St Peter's Street excavations. It forms the northern part of a wider tanning complex.

{1} Small tannery or skin-dressing workshop dated from latter C16th to middle C17th; stone wall divided building into two areas; an uncovered area to west contained series of clay-lined pits; two pits were timber-lined; within roofed area was clay floor with shallow clay-lined trough & small stone trough & stone-lined pit in middle of floor; latter may have represented beam house where scraping of skins was undertaken; small scale of workshop might indicate tawing rather than tanning; samples taken from pit were inconclusive; detailed discussion of tanning process & previous identification of tanneries during excavation;Copper alloy objects: spherical rumbler-type bell with suspension loop; thirty-five pins; eight lace tags;Iron objects: hinge terminal & strap hinge fragment; fragments of wire brush possibly used in carding; buckle; horseshoe;Medieval floor tiles: part of over-fired plain glazed tile; three small fragments with yellow glaze; further fragment also recovered;Glass: single sherd of early medieval window glass; four sherds of later/post medieval window glass; base of medieval glass bottle; almost complete glass hanging lamp; body fragments of urinal; fragments of seven glass beakers; parts of three post medieval glass bottles;Coins: farthing of Charles I AD 1625-1649; C17th Nuremberg jetton;Miscellaneous finds included: clay pipes; lead sheet offcut; textile impression on side of ceramic pot of C14-16th probably flax; wooden lining of two possible tanning pits; possible antler blade-holder; fragment of locally made oolitic limestone hone with all four faces worn;

<1> Williams J.H., 1979, St Peter's Street, Northampton: Excavations 1973-1976, p.98-102 (checked) (Report). SNN342.

<2> SHAW M., 1987, Early post-medieval tanning in Northampton, England, p. 43-7 (Article). SNN71934.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.394/Site 51 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<4> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1975, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1974, p.168 (checked) (Report). SNN41605.

<4> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Denham V., 1985, Middle Saxon Palaces at Northampton, p.45 (checked) (Report). SNN420.

<5> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Denham V., 1985, Middle Saxon Palaces at Northampton, (unchecked) (Report). SNN420.

<5> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Denham V., 1985, Middle Saxon Palaces at Northampton: Microfiche 2, p.45 (checked) (Microfiche). SNN106749.

<5> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Denham V., 1985, Middle Saxon Palaces at Northampton: Microfiche 3, p.45 (checked) (Microfiche). SNN106750.

Record last edited

Sep 21 2022 2:12PM